More students than ever before have applied to university this year. In a bid to beat the tuition fee rise – course costs may nearly treble from £3,290 to a maximum of £9,000 a year for those starting in 2012 – some 600,000 young people sent in a Ucas form this year. That is 5% more than the same time in 2010, when an estimated 200,000 students missed out on a place altogether.

With thousands more battling for the same number of places – around 479,000 – this year, even more students face rejection from all of their university choices. They will then have to decide whether to re-apply next year, and pay the higher fees, or give up the dream altogether.

So how does it feel to be in the thick of it? For the next few months, Education Guardian will follow five sixth-formers as they log in to Ucas, discover their offer progress, and decide how far they want to go to get a few letters after their name.

Zowie Pearce, 18, is studying A-levels in communications and culture and English literature and language at Cornwall College, St Austell. She already has A-levels in sociology, psychology and photography and has applied to read English at university.

"I found it quite difficult to sell myself to the universities, showing them that I'm hardworking and dedicated despite my illnesses," says Zowie, who has cystic fibrosis (CF) and diabetes. "And I'm a bit worried about my health, as starting university and leaving home is a big step." Zowie sent her Ucas form in early, in the first week of October, despite being in hospital the previous month. "It can be a problem as I miss so much study time," she says. "With weeks in hospital, I miss out on my education time. But when I want something I will do whatever it takes. Cystic fibrosis won't override my life."

Zowie's dad is a building site manager and her mum a medical secretary. She will be the first in her family to go to university. Her older sister opted to get a secretarial job after leaving school, so she talked to friends and teachers about her options. "I wanted to study somewhere where if I was ill it wouldn't take long to get to a hospital and with a CF centre close by," she says. "So I applied to Plymouth, Bath Spa, the University of West England and Bournemouth."

The extra hurdles Zowie has faced in her education so far means she brushes off concerns about tuition fee debt. "I'm a firm believer that if going to uni is something you are really passionate about, fees won't stand in the way – you deal with it however you can."

Christopher Howarth, 17, is studying English literature, Latin and chemistry A-levels in year 13 at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, a private secondary in Hertfordshire. He has applied to read classics at university.

Chris is already worrying about A2 results day in August. "Tearing open the envelope is always terrifying, you feel that there's so much potential for something to go wrong," he says. Both of his parents – who work as a civil servant and school administrator – went to university and expected him to do the same. Chris decided early on at secondary school that he wanted to study classics. "I think it's useful to have some idea of what you want to do, as it's all getting so competitive," he says.

Chris has already been to Cambridge for an interview. "I really enjoyed it," he says. "I was asked why Chinese uses a writing system based on symbols, and had no idea at first, but they kept giving me hints until I came up with a satisfactory theory." He was "elated" about being offered a place at Trinity College late last year. "But they asked for a minimum of two As and an A*, and more than anything I'm hoping I won't fall short," he says. "I know lots of very able people have slipped up on the day and missed out on a place."

Chris has also applied to Durham, Bristol, St Andrews and UCL. He's considering a career as a barrister but isn't sure yet, saying "the beauty of humanities degrees is that you don't have to make your mind up right away".

Josh Kay, 17, is studying A-levels in history, German, sociology, and English literature and language at Stourport school in Worcestershire. He has applied to read international relations.

Josh has been thinking about university since he was 12, although his dream course has changed from architecture to pathology to law to linguistics to international relations. "After university, I would like to either become a civil servant in the foreign office, or work within an embassy. I love travel and languages," he says.

That ambition led Josh to consider venturing to Europe for higher education. "After seeing an article about how Dutch universities were offering very generous grants to English students, I looked into Maastricht and Groningen universities," he says. "In October, I went to the Netherlands to have a look at both universities. I spoke to an English student at Maastricht about her experiences and how she was finding being a foreign student." Josh is now in the process of applying to both of those universities, as well as the London School of Economics, and Birmingham, Manchester, Swansea and East Anglia universities – the last four of whom have already offered him a place.

Josh says his parents – his dad is a carpenter and his mum works for an aerospace company – didn't go to university and are encouraging him and his 15-year-old brother to do so. They agree that "studying abroad would be a great opportunity to expand knowledge and my languages," as Josh puts it. He adds: "Moving to the Netherlands would be great for its multicultural edge, as well as its extremely generous grants. The fees are £1,500 a year, plus you receive a basic £221-a-month grant. The Dutch were friendly when I visited and their standard of English is excellent, which is especially helpful for me as my only Dutch is 'dank u'."

"I'm the first in my family to be thinking of going to university," says Danielle. "It is a big deal – my parents are really proud of how I've done so far and they're egging me on." Yet Danielle, whose dad fits power lines and whose mum is unemployed, would start university under the new fees regime and is worried about the cost.

"Although my parents will hopefully be able to help me a bit, I'd be doing most of it myself, with loans plus a job to pay for necessities. The new fees have made me think twice about uni. Since I'd have to do so much paid work, I'd worry about the impact on my studies – and with fees so high, it wouldn't be worth going to uni unless I could focus and do it properly."

Danielle plans to start looking into the full details of university when she has finished her first year of sixth form. "Right now, I am focusing on my current workload so I don't fall behind and start worrying – but I've started thinking about it in my spare time," she says. Danielle loves Japanese manga animation and wants to work as an illustrator.

Sam Jacobs, 17, is in year 12 at JFS, a mixed comprehensive in Kenton, Harrow, studying chemistry, biology, English literature and geography AS-levels. He wants to study medicine at university.

"Medicine has always been my passion – I'm fascinated by science and how it relates to mental and physical health," says Sam. He has found the jump from GCSEs to A-levels "challenging" and has been disappointed by his grades this year, despite a string of A* and As at GCSE. "But with hard work I'm improving on my grades and time management," he says. "I'm hoping to achieve top marks in my ASs, since they will play a crucial role in whether I get in to medical school or not."

Sam – who enjoys drama and debating at school – hasn't yet decided which universities to apply for, but has been to a residential course for students who want to be doctors at St George's, part of the University of London. Neither of Sam's parents went to university and he is an only child. "I especially want to make my parents proud," he says. "But my biggest worry is not making the final cut. University is getting harder to get into and more people are being turned away each year. Plus, coming from a working-class background, I'm worried about how I'll afford the tuition without amassing a huge amount of debt."